A Shattered Soul
by koli79
Summary: Modern AU. Abused his whole life, Hiccup never thought he could trust anyone. This story is about how that all changed.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Hamish "Hiccup" Haddock had been on his own for a while now. Nearly fifteen, he had experienced much in his short life and none of it could be categorized as good. His parents certainly never won any parenting awards. According to his father, his mother, Valka had been a kind and gentle soul before they had emigrated to the United States from Scotland. Before he had been born. Once he came along though, the light in her eyes faded and she became angry and depressed. She began going out at all hours of the night, anything to get away from being around her baby. When Hiccup was just a year old, Valka ran off with some biker she met at a bar and never returned.

His father, Stoick was at a loss and desperately wanted someone to blame. He loved his wife too much to think ill of her and soon began to look at his own son with contempt. Had this hiccup never been born his wife would still be here. That is how Hamish Haddock became known as Hiccup. His father refused to call him anything else and reminded his son daily how a hiccup is an annoyance, an interruption to every day life and something that people want to rid themselves of. As years went by, Stoick grew more angry and began to drink heavily. At night he would take his rage out on Hiccup and no one took notice of the bruises that littered his body. If anyone did, they certainly never spoke out and no one came to help him.

When he turned fourteen, Hiccup had enough and finally devised a plan to get away. After stealing some money from his father, Hiccup bought a ticket and got the first bus out of New York City. He knew his best chance of not getting caught and sent back was to get out of state. Connecticut wasn't ideal with its cold winters and humid summers, but it would do. Living on the streets might be tough, but at least he would in charge of his own life and wouldn't have to rely on anyone. Hiccup knew that you couldn't rely on anyone, but yourself and vowed to never make the mistake of letting anyone get close.

This is a story of how that all changed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you everyone for the reviews already! This is my first multi-chapter fic.**

* * *

"Well this is just fabulous," Hiccup said to himself quietly as he rummaged through his backpack. He knew that he had put his sunglasses in there, now it was just a matter of finding them.

"Aha!" he cried. Sunglasses in hand, Hiccup slipped his backpack behind the dumpster and proceeded to make his way out on to the street. The first rule in pickpocketing was to be as nondescript as possible. That way, even if someone saw you, there wouldn't be much a description for the cops to go on. Given his small stature for boy his age and his slight build, he could easily slip into crowds and deftly grab a couple of wallets with no one being the wiser. Of course, he had slipped up a few times. Back in New York, he got caught red handed picking the pocket of an undercover cop. Not only was it completely embarrassing to pick a cop as mark, he ended up in juvie for a month and then had to go home and face his father.

So now, he was much better at watching people and picking his targets. As he walked down the street and scanned the crowd, Hiccup thought about his new home. Connecticut wasn't necessarily his first choice, but it seemed to be working out. He ended up in the capital, Hartford, which wasn't even 200 miles from his birthplace about four weeks ago. Hiccup quickly found a decent spot to crash that was near a few other groups of street kids, but far enough away that he had his own space and didn't have to fear anyone trying to get too buddy-buddy or steal his stuff. Hiccup knew there was no honor among thieves and what little he had he intended to keep.

"Hey! Give that back!" a small voice cried stirring Hiccup from his thoughts. He looked up and saw a small girl chasing after a boy that couldn't be more than a year or two older than her. Her brother, Hiccup presumed. The boy had a ratty looking teddy bear and was waving it just out of reach of the little girl. "Give it back!" she cried again as they ran past him.

Then the boy did something unexpected, he threw the bear into the street. The girl darted out without a thought to look around her. Hiccup did though and saw a car coming and it looked like the driver was busy texting. Hiccup called out, "Hey! Watch out!", but it seemed to fall on deaf ears. Hiccup then made a rash decision and jumped out into the street, grabbed the girl and tossed her back on to the sidewalk. She landed hard on her hands and knees with a cry.

Hiccup looked up to move about the same time as the driver looked up from her phone, but it was too late and the car slammed into him. Hiccup's knee felt the impact first, then his whole body rolled up on to the hood of the car. The driver slammed on the brakes and then Hiccup flew off on to the street. Just before his head hit the pavement, Hiccup thought that the gods must hate him. He actually tried to help someone and this was the thanks he got. Then everything went black.

People screamed, the little girl cried and Hiccup lay in the street, eyes closed, knee twisted at an odd angle, his head bleeding and by his hand lay the girl's ratty teddy bear.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Sorry about the earlier post... this version seems to be working much better._**

**_Also, I wanted to say thank you to my new beta, xFaerieValkyriex!_**

* * *

_Beep...beep...beep...beep..._

That incessant sound was the first thing Hiccup was aware of as he began to pull himself out of the darkness.

_What is that noise?_ he asks himself, _and why won't it stop?_

As he tried to figure that out in his muddled brain, he slowly became aware of pain; His head ached like he had been on a three day bender, his body felt as though he hadn't tried to move in a month and then, there was his knee. He tried to bend his legs, but something kept is left leg immobilized.

Not only that, just shifting his leg caused a bolt of pain to shoot through his body and with that his eyes shot open.

The room was dimly lit, but the light still bothered his eyes. Squinting, he slowly took in his surroundings. Even though his brain felt like he was wading through molasses, it didn't take long to realize he was in a hospital. _How did that happen?_ he thought.

Then he remembered the little girl and the car.

_Crap! How am I going to get myself out of this one?_ The hospital was just slightly worse than a police station. The wrong word would result in Social Services intervening and sending him back to his father. As Hiccup started to realize the severity of the situation, the on duty nurse walked in.

"Oh, you're finally awake. Let me get the doctor." _Crap! Now what?_

* * *

Reviewing a patient chart at the nurses' station, Dr. Beverly Daniels tried to suppress a yawn. It was almost one in the morning and this particular shift was really kicking her butt._Well, that is what I get for going on a 6 hour hike right before having to pull a double shift at the hospital, _she thought. Sane people didn't do things like that.

"Dr. Daniels?" Beverly looked up, startled out of her stupor. "Yes Alina?"

"Dr. Daniels, the patient in Room 202 is awake."

"Well, it's about time, I was starting to get worried that his concussion was worse than initially thought. Let me grab his chart and I will be right in."

_This should be an interesting conversation._

* * *

As Hiccup waited, he tried to come up with a plan. He couldn't give his real name and age or he would be back with Stoick by the end of the week. _Well, I'll just tell her I'm 18 and my name is..._

"Hi there. My name is Dr. Daniels. You have been unconscious for the last 10 hours, so I want to ask you a couple of questions to ensure everything is working up there" Beverly said as she pointed to Hiccup's head, "Do you know where you are?"

"Yeah, a hospital."

"What city are you in?"

"Hartford."

"Good. Can you tell me your name?"

"John Smith." _Crap! Why did I pick the most obviously fake name in the history of fake names!, _Hiccup asked himself, looking up to the doctor.

"John Smith, huh?" Beverly looked at him skeptically. "Well, Mr. Smith, how old are you?"

"I'm 18. Turned the big ol' one eight back in December."

If Hiccup could have slapped himself, he would have. No one was going to believe this line of bull.

"Well Mr. Smith, I have to tell you that you don't look a day over 14. And you look more like a Hamish to me."

"Huh? Why would you say that?" _Dang it! How does she know?_

"Well, given that you were obviously underage," Hiccup cringed, "we had the police run your fingerprints to help identify you. If you were hoping to remain anonymous, you probably should have avoided trying to pickpocket that cop in New York last year."

"I knew that would come back to bite me in the..." Hiccup stopped short after a stern look from the doctor. "Well, you know..."

"I assume you tried to avoid letting me know your real name since you were also reported missing back in May." Hiccup's head dropped, there was no way he was going to get out of this.

After this short taste of freedom, he was going back and he was sure Stoick would kill him this time.

Beverly looked down at the boy and felt pity for him. She had seen his x-rays and now it was time to have the really difficult conversation.

"Hamish..."

"Hiccup."

"Excuse me?"

"My name is Hiccup. No one's called me Hamish apart from a judge since I was a baby."

"Oh, well that certainly is an interesting nickname." Beverly tried to conceal her surprise, who in the world would call their child Hiccup?

"When you were brought in..." she sighed, but continued "Hiccup, we ran a number of tests to see what damage the car had done. You have a concussion, bruised ribs and your left knee was broken. We did surgery and put in some plates and screws to help it heal. I won't lie; the break is pretty bad and you're going to be minus on that leg for a while. Likely there will be further surgery and we will have to keep an eye out for infection."

Beverly looked to ensure Hiccup was listening. While he wouldn't look her in the eye, he nodded. "Also, after reviewing your x-rays, there was evidence of a number of healed broken bones." Hiccup shrugged. "Hiccup, these types of injuries are consistent with victims of domestic violence. Can you tell me how you were hurt?"

Hiccup looked up at her with fire in his eyes.

"Why?" He spat. "What difference does it make how I got them? It doesn't make a difference! No one is going to do anything about it." Beverly's eyes widened at the strength of the venom in his voice. How could someone continually beat a child while everyone looks the other way?

"Look, call Social Services. They'll call my dad and he'll come get me and you can forget we ever met."

Hiccup tilted his head back and looked at the ceiling, signaling to Beverly that he was done talking.

"Hiccup, I don't know what Social Services is like in New York, but I can tell you this. There is no way I am going to release you to your father's care." Hiccup glanced at her warily, and she continued "Look, there is _no way_ these injuries you sustained were accidental in nature. I have had a number of patients over the years with stories similar to yours. I know how the system works and I know who to call. You don't need to worry about your dad hurting you any more."

With that, Beverly got up and walked out the room. She had some calls to make, first to Janice at Social Services and then to the Ingermans. They had a son just about Hiccup's age and they had always been her go to choice as foster parents for the severely abused children she had seen come through the hospital. With a son Hiccup's age, they would be the perfect family in mind to foster Hiccup.

Back in the room, Hiccup just stared at the door. Could this be _real?_ Was he truly going to be free from his father? Even though Stoick hated him, he would never give him up without a fight. The chance at a happy life was something Stoick would not want him to have.


	4. Chapter 4

**Another update! Sorry for the delay but I had some important things that had to be handled in my personal life.**

* * *

The following morning Hiccup was lying in his hospital bed pondering his next move. With his injuries there was no way he was going to be able to go back out on his own anytime soon and even with the promises the doctor had made, Hiccup was sure if he didn't tread carefully he would end up back in Stoick's clutches.

"Good morning, Hiccup! How are you feeling today?" Hiccup looked to see Doctor Daniels in the doorway, he responded with a half-hearted shrug.

"I take it you are not in a talkative mood?" she asked. No response.

Well, Beverly was accustomed to one-sided conversations and pushed ahead.

"Well, I'll start off talking and you can pitch in if you feel like it." she spoke once more, "Later today, Janice Sanchez is going to be coming in to see you and talk to you about what is going to happen once we release you from the hospital later this week."

Hiccup's gaze dropped down to study his hands. He really did not want to end up in a foster home or even worse, a juvenile detention center.

"I am going to take a moment to look at your leg, are you experiencing any pain?"

Hiccup was stirred from his thoughts and quietly responded, "Not really."

"Ah, he does speak!" Dr. Daniels gently chided.

She pulled back the sheet and checked the bandage and the tube running from them. Everything looked clear and no adverse signs at present.

"I am happy to inform you that your leg is looking good! No signs of infection. If things progress at this rate, we can release you later this week. That is provided you pass the PPFB test."

"The what?" Hiccup looked up, confusion clearly shown in his face.

"The PPFB test, you have to be able to go to the bathroom and other regular functions before you can go." Dr. Daniels smiled at the boys reaction.

She explained more, "Because of the anesthetic, we just need to ensure everything is functioning properly. If you can do all the things I listed, then everything is working properly."

Hiccup blushed. He couldn't believe he was going to have to explain about his private bathroom moments to get out of here.

As if reading his mind, Dr. Daniels stated, "No worries, you need help to get to and from the bathroom anyway so we'll know when things are back on track. And we can get one of the male orderlies to assist you if that would make you more comfortable." Hiccup nodded and winced slightly. "Still feeling the affects of the concussion, huh? Well, let me increase your pain meds a bit to help with that."

Hiccup sighed, he really didn't want anything that was going to make him feel foggy, but his head was really starting to kill him.

As the doctor injected something into his IV, he felt his eyes get heavy.

"Remember, Janice will be in a bit later. Get some rest and be sure to eat lunch, you are underweight for your frame."

Beverly left the room as Hiccup started to drop off to sleep. She couldn't help but worry about this boy. He was a survivor, but he was so closed off to the staff.

Would he ever learn that not all people were horrible? There was the little girl, though. He put himself in harms way to save her. He must see some good in humanity. Beverly sighed and then when about her other daily rounds.

* * *

"Hello? Hamish...er, _Hiccup?_" A soft voice stirred Hiccup from sleep. He looked up and saw a small Hispanic woman standing at his room doorway.

"Hi there, Doctor Daniels may have mentioned that I was stopping by later?" she continued, "My name is Janice Sanchez, I'm with Social Services,"

Hiccup simply nodded and then laid back to look up at the ceiling, seemingly resigned to the fact that he had to have this conversation. Beverly had warned Janice that he wasn't much of a chatterbox and that it might take some extra effort to get him to open up.

Sadly, this was not a new experience for Janice. Over the last fifteen years, the number of children that came from situations similar to Hiccup's were too numerous to even count. Seeing that Hiccup wasn't going to invite her in, she simply went to the chair next to the hospital bed.

"Do you know why I'm here?" she asked, a slight nod was the simple response. "Okay then, after reviewing Doctor Daniels' report it appears that you have been routinely abused for a long time. Can you tell me your side of the story?"

Hiccup sighed, he really didn't want to get into this, but if it meant that he might be able to stave off being sent back to New York until he was at least recovered, it would be worth it.

"You could simply go with my dad isn't my biggest fan." Hiccup replied quietly.

"What about your mother?"A sarcastic wit, a defense mechanism for certain, but a sign he wasn't completely defeated either.

"She left when I was a baby. My dad blamed me; hence, why he doesn't really like me."

"Doctor Daniels informed me that you prefer to go by Hiccup, why is that?" Janice was genuinely curious about this particular answer.

"Like I said, my dad blamed me for my mother leaving. Before me, " he sighed but continued, "their life was ideal and me coming along was a hiccup in their world. A hiccup that ruined everything." Hiccup glanced at Janice and then to the wall. "He's called me that ever since, and threatened anyone who tried to call me anything else. I'm not fit for a proper Scottish name."

Janice sat bewildered for a moment. While not defeated, it was obvious he believed every word he had just spoken. This boy believed his presence in the world was a mistake. Her heart ached for him. "Thank you for that information Hiccup. And for the record, you are more than someone's perceived mistake." Janice said. Hiccup did not respond, but she hadn't expected a simple reassurance would undo fourteen years of abuse.

"Well, given the evidence in your medical report and our interview now, I am putting a recommendation that you're not be placed back with your father. There will be a trial, but given the time it will take to notify your father as well as setting up a meeting with the judge, you are looking at about a 3-4 month wait before anything will be full finalized as tar as custody. " Janice glanced at Hiccup to ensure he processed all of that information.

He wasn't looking at her, but he did nod. She continued. "You will be staying with the Ingerman family. They run an animal sanctuary at the edge of town and have a son your age. They're a really nice family and I think you will enjoy the peace and quiet at their place."

Hiccup inwardly groaned.

Great, the family didn't even live near town. Once he was mobile again, he had hoped to leave in the middle of the night. Less chance someone would see him and easier to disappear. Now he was going to have to come up with an alternative plan.


	5. Chapter 5

"Are you ready to go?" Doctor Daniels asked as she walked into Hiccup's room.

Hiccup looked away from the window, pulled out of his trance from watching the rain hitting the glass. He shrugged and replied, "Ready as I'll ever be."

After four days in the hospital, even Hiccup had to admit he was ready for a change of scenery, though he wasn't totally sure what he was getting himself into. _What if the Ingermans were super nosy and wanted him to share his life story in the first five minutes of his arrival, _Hiccup thought. _Or worse, what if they are huggers. I hate huggers, they have no idea what personal space means_.

"I am going to have Alina here," she gestured to the nurse with a wheelchair, "assist you in getting downstairs. From there Janice will be taking you to the Ingermans. Now, you need to use the wheelchair to get around for the next week to give your ribs time to heal."

Hiccup just rolled his eyes. It was bad enough he couldn't use one of his legs, but now he couldn't even use crutches. Beverly noticed his response and said, "Hey, you have a follow up appointment at the end of next week with me. If things look good, we will get you crutches, but trust me, your ribs are going to thank me for holding off on them for now."

With that, she left the room and Alina assisted Hiccup with getting off the bed and into the wheelchair.

Though he wouldn't outright admit it, just lifting himself up made his ribs hurt, so she was probably right that crutches were a bad idea.

"Okay Hiccup, let's take a trip to the lobby!" Alina said.

It was a quiet ride and Hiccup was glad that Alina did not feel a need to fill every moment with nonsensical small talk. In the lobby Janice was waiting and gave a small wave to him as he exited the elevator.

"Hi Hiccup. You are looking good today." she smiled at him warmly, "It looks like it might be a bit of a longer ride than anticipated with the rain. Do you need anything before we hit the road?" _Yeah, two good legs and bus ticket out of town_, Hiccup thought, but opted to respond with a simple and mumbled, "No."

"Alright, well let's just hit the road then."

"Mom! Miss Sanchez is pulling up the drive!" called out Francis Ingerson.

He was a large lad to say the least. At fifteen he was tall for his age and his mother would describe him, husky. Other kids at school might have a few more colorful options to describe him, but he was a key member of the Hooligan High rugby team and that was not a group to cross.

"Make sure the dogs are kenneled than, Fishy!" his mother hollered back from somewhere in the house. "The boy might be on crutches and the last thing he needs is to be bowled over by them."

_Fishy_ was his mother's take on a nickname Francis had gotten as a young child. He loved animals and thought it was unfair how fish only had fins and couldn't walk on land. He felt so passionate about it that he made a presentation to his entire first grade class about how the government should do research to help fish get legs. From that moment on, everyone called him Fishlegs. He didn't mind though, he still thought fish should have legs.

"Yes, ma'am." he replied and walked out to gather the dogs.

There were four living with them right now. His favorite was an old bulldog he had called Meatlug. It was on odd name for sure, but Meatlug _was_ an odd dog. She only had one eye and had a tendency to walk into walls, but she was lovable and about the sweetest dog on the planet.

"Hiya Meatlug! How's my baby?" cooed Fishlegs, Meatlug hopped up and down and gave a heartfelt bark. "Come on, you need to go back to your kennel until we get the new kid situated. You know the drill."

Indeed she did. Between animals coming into the sanctuary and kids coming into the house, there was always someone new that needed to get use to the chaos of Ingerman household. After everyone was secured, Fishlegs went out to greet the new houseguest.

"Hello Francis! How are you doing?" asked Janice.

"I'm good Miss Sanchez. How are you?" Fishlegs replied respectfully.

"Oh, I can't complain. Would you mind grabbing the wheelchair from my trunk and then we can get Hiccup out."

_Hiccup? _thought Fishlegs. _Guess I'm not the only one with a weird nickname. Wonder if he is one of those people that has had a case of the hiccups for ten years or something. That would be so cool!_

"Sure thing Miss Sanchez." Fishlegs peered into the car while he walked around to the trunk to try and get a glimpse of the kid. _Did he have the hiccups now?_ he thought.

Upon retrieving the wheelchair, Fishlegs watched Janice open up the door and assist the kid into it. _Boy this kid is small and skinny! Like way too skinny!_

"Hey how'd you hurt your leg anyway?" Fishlegs blurted out. _Oops, so much for decorum!_

"I stepped in front of a moving car." was the deadpan response. _Great, they're the nosy type..._

"Oh. You know you should have looked both ways before crossing the street, right?" Fishlegs asked innocently.

"I do now."

_What an idiot! _Hiccup was certain that this guy was going to end up driving him insane before the day was over.

"Well, hello there!" a voice called out from the house.

Mrs. Louise Ingerman emerged and walked over to the group. She was a tall, lean woman with a warm and welcoming smile.

"You must be Hiccup. Welcome to our home." Hiccup simply nodded and replied with a quiet, "Thanks."

"Let's get you inside, the rain has stopped for the moment, but I'm sure it will start up again soon." Mrs. Ingerman gestured towards the house and the group made their way in.

The house was a single story ranch, which Hiccup figured would at least make his life easier for the time being.

Inside it was a menagerie of styles. Even eclectics would think this was overkill. Victorian, modern, French, Asian and more graced the floors and walls of every room.

"As you can tell, we like a variety of furniture and decorations. I always imagined I would have a house decorated like one of those magazines, but then I just couldn't decide which style to go with and ended up with this." as she gestured around her. "My husband, George and Fishy here don't mind it."

Hiccup's eyebrows shot up. _Fishy? There has to be a story behind that._

Janet spoke up, "Francis, would you mind showing Hiccup to his room while I go over some paperwork with your mom?"

"Sure thing Miss Sanchez! Come on Hiccup, your room is next to mine." Fishlegs grabbed his wheelchair and pushed it down the hall.

After they were gone, Mrs. Ingerman turned to Janice, "So what are we in for?"

"Well, given the medical reports and what Hiccup has shared, he has been abused by his father since he was a year old. With the exception of an arrest for pick pocketing, there were no early reports of issues. He is definitely reserved, but resourceful. He was out on his own for several weeks and probably would have stayed under the radar if he hadn't saved a child from getting hit by a car."

"Any reports of nightmares at the hospital?" Mrs. Ingerman asked.

"None. He does have a number of appointments with Doctor Daniels over the next several weeks to check on his leg. There is significant concern about infection, so you are going to need your nursing skills for this one." Janice replied with ease.

"Well, we have a few weeks until school starts, so we have time to get him settled in and comfortable. If he is interested, I'll have him assist Fishy with the animals. I think that would be really therapeutic for him." Mrs. Ingerman had watched a number of kids over the years come out of their shells and learn to trust again by working with abused animals.

"I think that would be great Louise." Janice grinned, "I'll let you take over from here and I will be in touch later next week. Call me if you need me."

"Will do."

Mrs. Ingerman walked Janice out and then turned back into the house. It was time to get get to know her guest.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Sorry for the delayed post, but work has been incredibly demanding of late and this was my first weekend to sit down and write in a month.**_

* * *

"So this is your room right here on the left." Fishlegs began as he steered Hiccup down a long hallway.

"Watch where you're going!" Hiccup cried as the large teen narrowly missed pushing his leg into the bedroom doorway. "Oh! Sorry dude! So what kind of name is Hiccup anyway?" Fishlegs asked curiously, clearly too excited.

"What kind of a name is Fishy?" Hiccup replied sarcastically.

"Touche! My legal name is Francis, but people have been calling me Fishlegs since I was six." Leaning in, the boy continued in a quieter tone, "If you're lucky, one day I can give you the whole story and then you can tell me yours."

Hiccup looked at Fishlegs incredulously. Not only did this guy's nickname get even weirder, but he was strangely proud of it too! Hiccup was firm about people using the name imposed on him by his father, but it wasn't because he thought it was cool.

"I noticed you don't have a bag with you. Where is all your stuff?" asked Fishlegs.

Hiccup shrugged, "Probably long gone by now. I had it hidden, but I'm sure someone found it by now."

"Well, tomorrow my mom can take you to get some stuff. Then, if you want, I can give you a tour of the property! Most of it has sidewalks so there won't be an issue with the chair." Fishlegs then asked, "How long do you have to be in this thing?"

Hiccup sighed, he was getting a bit tired of the seemingly bottomless pit of questions.

"A week or so. Look do you mind if I lay down for a bit?" _Please say okay, I really don't want to keep talking to you_, he begged mentally.

"Sure!" Fishlegs moved quickly to give him some space, "Dinner will be done in about 30 minutes, so I'll come back then, okay?"

Hiccup nodded and watched Fishlegs leave before he took some time to take in the bedroom room.

There wasn't anything particularly special about it. Twin bed on one side, dresser on the other and a simple closet. There was a window that looked out to the back of the property. Looking out, Hiccup could see a barn; what he presumed was a dog run, and a large fenced in area that had a couple of cows settled in it.

Hiccup was not accustomed to seeing farm animals. Living in the city, there were stray dogs, cats and, of course; the city's unofficial animal, the rat.

If Fishlegs could stop playing 20 Questions with him, he wouldn't be too bad. He seemed friendly enough and despite his size, was almost meek. If Hiccup had his size, he would have been able to probably fight back and, who knows, even beat up Stoick?

* * *

Thirty minutes later, right on time, Fishlegs head popped into the bedroom doorway.

"Hey there! Dinner is ready. My mom's an awesome cook."

"It sure looks like she is," replied Hiccup snidely. He instantly regretted it though as Fishlegs gave a small, hurt expression. After being bullied his whole life, he did not want to be like his father. He coughed before fixing his rude remark. "Sorry, it's been a long day and my manners are a bit lacking."

Hiccup looked suitably apologetic and Fishlegs seemed to recover as though nothing offensive was even said.

"Do you need help getting to the dining room?"

"No, I've got it."

The pair made it down the hallway and into the dining room.

At the table, Mrs. Ingerman was busy setting up.

There was roast beef, mashed potatoes, salad and dinner buns. Hiccup's stomach growled as the aroma of the food reached his nostrils. The hospital food was not that great and he couldn't recall when he had a meal like this.

"Well good evening everyone!" Hiccup looked up as a tall, stout gentleman entered the room.

Obviously, Fishlegs took after his dad.

"Hi there, I'm George Ingerman. Welcome to our house!" Mr. Ingerman offered out a hand as he greeted Hiccup.

Seeing the hand come at him, Hiccup visibly flinched, but recovered quickly and shook the outstretched hand. His reaction did not go unnoticed by those around him, but they acted as though nothing had happened. Hiccup was grateful for that.

"Nice to meet you, sir." Then Hiccup turned to Mrs. Ingerman and said, "The food looks really good."

"Thank you, lad. Don't be shy, go ahead and dish yourself up!"

Mrs. Ingerman started passing plates of food around the table, and as everyone filled their plates (some more than others), the Ingermans started discussing business.

"Dad, now that we were able to get the three pit bulls adopted out this weekend, have you put out the word that there is room in the dog pen to the animal shelters?" asked Fishlegs.

Mr. Ingerman smiled, his son was so on top of things. One day he would be continuing on the work he and his wife started and Francis was more than capable.

"Yes, Francis, I did and it looks like we will have a new addition tomorrow." he replied.

Fishlegs eyes lit up.

"What breed?" he asked excitedly.

"Looks like a 2 year old male Cane Corso. From my conversation with the shelter, he was neglected and chained outside most of the time. Owners barely fed him and when he finally broke loose, he got hit by a car."

Mr. Ingerman glanced over at Hiccup as he recounted the facts. Hiccup had paled a bit and was very focused on his plate though not much food was making it to his mouth. This dog's story probably sounded very close to his own. Fishlegs however, noticed none of this and pressed on.

"How bad are the injuries? You know Cane Corsos were bred out of Italy. They are part of the working class group."

"Son, I don't need to know those types of things because I know you know all of it. If I ever end up on a game show and the category is dog breed trivia. You would be my lifeline." Mr. Ingerman replied.

The Ingermans shared a hearty chuckle, but Fishlegs didn't let his question slide by.

"How bad are the injuries, though?"

"Well according to the vet, the back left leg was too mangled and had to be amputated. Another thing, the dog's jaw was damaged and his teeth were too broken. They had to be pulled." Mr Ingerman explained to his son.

"He's toothless?" This quiet question made the Ingermans look up at their new guest, surprised to say the least.

"Yes, Hiccup. Many of the animals that come here are not in good shape. Our role is to help rehabilitate them and find new homes for them." explained Mrs. Ingerman.

"Except Meatlug. Her home is right here!" Fishlegs added in.

"Yes Fishy, Meatlug is your dog." Mrs. Ingerman patted Fishlegs on the arm and looked over to Hiccup, "Meatlug is a bulldog that came to us a few years ago and she and Fishy just hit it off. I couldn't separate those two if I tried."

"Why would you even keep a dog like that alive?" Hiccup asked. "Isn't it more humane to just put it down?"

He couldn't believe that there was anything these people could do that could make a toothless, three-legged dog appealing to anyone.

"Just because an animal is scarred or maimed does not mean it is incapable of giving and receiving love. You have to see behind the physical appearance and the story to see the beauty of the soul." Mrs. Ingerman replied. Hiccup shrugged. If were up to him, he would be merciful and kill the beast. Not force it to linger in pain and fear.

"Oh Hiccup, you should be on crutches next week right?" asked Fishlegs, changing the subject suddenly. "That's the plan."

"Great, you can come out to my rugby practice and meet some of the guys. That way when school starts in a few weeks, you will know a few people." Fishlegs was excited to have Hiccup meet his friends. Plus if Hiccup got along well with them, there was a good chance that his buddy's twin sister would finally let him come to her roller derby match.

"Sure." was a simple reply, as he wasn't sure what else to say.

He didn't really feel like meeting this guy's friends and rugby was not his cup of tea, but it would be good to start to get the lay of the land. He might be here for a few months until he could walk without aid, but no time like the present to start making plans for his escape.


End file.
